1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a package for distributing and exhibiting medical literature along with sample blister packages of medication.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pharmaceutical companies promote the use of their medications by providing samples of the medications to medical practitioners (doctors, hospitals, etc.) for distribution to their patients. The samples are supplied in various known forms of distribution such as small bottles or boxes of blister packs, and the doctors typically store the samples in a cabinet or closet. Promotional literature for the medications is often displayed on a stand in the doctors"" waiting areas without the sample medications.
There is a need for a package which combines both a blister pack of medication and associated promotional product literature and which can be used to prominently display the literature in a doctor""s office and then easily distributed by the doctor to a patient to be taken home by the patient.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a protective package is provided for the combined distribution and display of blister packs of articles, such as medications, in association with product literature and promotional information. The package has a first panel with a first pocket for securely holding one or more blister packs without crushing the articles in the blister pack. A plurality of holes are positioned across the front of the first pocket such that each blister in the blister pack is accommodated within one of the holes, thereby securing the blister pack in the first pocket. A second panel is flexibly attached to the top of the first panel and folds in front thereof. The second panel has a second pocket to store and display literature relating to the articles in the first pocket. A cover is flexibly attached to the tops of the first and second panels. The cover may have graphics with further product or manufacturer information or advertising attached thereto or printed thereon.
A bifold flap is flexibly attached to the bottom of the second panel. A tab at the bottom of the flap is insertable into a slot on the bottom of the first panel to hold the bottoms of the first and second panels away from one another a sufficient distance to form an easel. The flap may be folded inward between the first and second panels to allow the three panels to be folded into a substantially flat package for compact distribution.
The entire package may be made from a single sheet of laminated paper that is sturdy but flexible enough to prevent the articles from getting crushed when the package is folded flat. A second plurality of holes may be provided on the back of the first panel to show a printed expiration date and lot number on the blister pack.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.